The bookies have us finishing 20th ?

[North Cardiff Blue]

I think at the moment we have depth but I’m not sure about strength but also a lot of question marks over players. Ramsey and ODowda seem to always pick up an injury, NG has his back problems hang seem to pop up during the season. Chambers hasnt played regularly for 3 years and ElGhazi hasn’t really played for a year, even Willock hasn’t had many minutes pre season I don’t think. Kanga is totally unknown.

That’s not to say they should be written off, most of them have quality but they will need to be managed well especially in the opening weeks.

To really push on to top 6 I would like to see Romeo, Wintle and Rino moved on but I still think we need a striker, winger, midfielder, left back and another right back.

It's right to doubt Ramsey and O'Dowdas fitness they are great players but very fragile, hopefully, Bulut realises this and manages the situation with plenty of rest and subbing them off early in the second half if need be.

I think the squad will be a lot better than last year and think we will have more strength in depth especially when we are finished and a lot of the youngsters that aren't loaned out will provide additional cover.

It's another tough start but it was last year and we started well, lets hope that continues and we get the first half of the season and not the last.

Top six is going to be difficult, and the teams coming down will be strong, but it's good to be aiming for top six, as we should at least be aiming to finish higher than last season, it looks like this will be a better squad.

[The Lone Gunman]

They changed manager from Ainsworth, with a win percentage of 17.9% to Marti Cifuentes 37.5%, I was thinking the same as you both, but they must be assuming he can keep things going and push them up the table a bit.

The table for the first half of last season (games 1 to 23) has QPR 22nd, but the table for the second half of the season (games 24 to 46) has them 10th, so it was quite a turnaround.

By comparison, City were 10th in the first half of the season table, but 17th in the second half of the season.

These are the kind of stats the bookies will be factoring into their pre-season odds, but it's a new season with new players (and in some cases managers) right throughout the division, so it's obviously pure guesswork at this stage.

The Racing Post's 80-page pre-season guide is in Monday's paper. I get a copy every year. It's excellent value and always interesting to look back on as the season progresses. It'll be good to see how their pundits rate City's chances this season. I'll keep you posted (no pun intended).

[Hilts]

It's right to doubt Ramsey and O'Dowdas fitness they are great players but very fragile, hopefully, Bulut realises this and manages the situation with plenty of rest and subbing them off early in the second half if need be.

I think the squad will be a lot better than last year and think we will have more strength in depth especially when we are finished and a lot of the youngsters that aren't loaned out will provide additional cover.

It's another tough start but it was last year and we started well, lets hope that continues and we get the first half of the season and not the last.

Top six is going to be difficult, and the teams coming down will be strong, but it's good to be aiming for top six, as we should at least be aiming to finish higher than last season, it looks like this will be a better squad.

O Dowda is a good player at this level if he's fit but far from great.

I'm more hopeful of Davies King Colwill having an impact if given an opportunity than O Dowda. He's just always injured even at Bristol City.

[North Cardiff Blue]

The table for the first half of last season (games 1 to 23) has QPR 22nd, but the table for the second half of the season (games 24 to 46) has them 10th, so it was quite a turnaround.

By comparison, City were 10th in the first half of the season table, but 17th in the second half of the season.

These are the kind of stats the bookies will be factoring into their pre-season odds, but it's a new season with new players (and in some cases managers) right throughout the division, so it's obviously pure guesswork at this stage.

The Racing Post's 80-page pre-season guide is in Monday's paper. I get a copy every year. It's excellent value and always interesting to look back on as the season progresses. It'll be good to see how their pundits rate City's chances this season. I'll keep you posted (no pun intended).

That makes sense.

It will be interesting to see what they say, and if they've kept up to date with who we've signed and how they think they will do.

[2b2bdoo]

Chambers could potentially be one of the very best defenders in the division, but he's played very little football in recent seasons.

El Ghazi should be a class act at this level if he can recapture his form and fitness, but he hasn't started a game in over a year and his career seems to have been in decline for a few seasons.

Willock should be more than decent at this level, but he also needs to recapture the form he was showing at QPR a few years ago for that to be the case.

Kanga could be anything.

In my opinion, these signings are among the most interesting the club has made in some time, but there are obviously significant question marks against all of them.

He did manage 8 goals in 24 appearances for PSV 2022-2023, if he can pick that kind of form back up, he will be a huge asset.

[Ribeye]

Bookies don't care about getting it right bookies care about the book ie making a 10%+ profit on the total sum bet on the market. The truth is that people don't bet on Cardiff that's why Cardiff odds are so high. That is also why England odds are so low as lots of people bet on England.

Imagine the next Cardiff city manager odds. Aaron Ramsey 100/1 a person puts a £1000 on Aaron and the odds would plumet to 2/1.

Odds are just a reflection of public opinion at the end of the day

[PontBlue]

We've lacked mobility in midfield for years, but, hopefully, something is being done about that and we'll have someone in to try and rectify that before the season starts.

I've just watched a stream where two Luton fans predict where everyone's going to finish, one of them had us in tenth, which is about as high as I've seen us in these sort of things, solely down to Willock, tbe other one had us in 20th solely down to Horvarth who he doesn't rate at all - he said their promotion was far more down to their defenders than Horvarth. Must admit, I'm not totally convinced by Horvarth and I'm not convinced Alnwick is a top end of the Championship keeper, but I don't see us bringing in anyone in that position.

We also let in far too many goals last season, but we have two new defenders and, if the rumours are to be believed, have someone else coming in to be a starter next week, so, even if we lose MCGuinness, as I suspect we will, we would seem to have strengthened there.

I'm more optimisitc about Kanga than I was at first, but he still doesn't strike me as someone who is going to be prolific. I think much will depend on how much Bulut trusts Isaak Davies and how much more confident Isaak will be after his goals in Belgium last season, but I still feel concerned that there aren't enough goals in our forward players to make us reralistic top six challengers.

I rate Alnwick more than Horvath. When our form dipped in the second half of the season that was when one of our central defenders and keeper got injured.

[The Lone Gunman]

Bookies don't care about getting it right bookies care about the book ie making a 10%+ profit on the total sum bet on the market. The truth is that people don't bet on Cardiff that's why Cardiff odds are so high. That is also why England odds are so low as lots of people bet on England.

Imagine the next Cardiff city manager odds. Aaron Ramsey 100/1 a person puts a £1000 on Aaron and the odds would plumet to 2/1.

Odds are just a reflection of public opinion at the end of the day

There’s so much wrong with this post it would be exhausting to try to correct it, so I won’t bother.

[NinianKnight]

Bookies don't care about getting it right bookies care about the book ie making a 10%+ profit on the total sum bet on the market. The truth is that people don't bet on Cardiff that's why Cardiff odds are so high. That is also why England odds are so low as lots of people bet on England.

Imagine the next Cardiff city manager odds. Aaron Ramsey 100/1 a person puts a £1000 on Aaron and the odds would plumet to 2/1.

Odds are just a reflection of public opinion at the end of the day

Absolutely right

[WJ99mobile]

There’s so much wrong with this post it would be exhausting to try to correct it, so I won’t bother.

He is right in parts.

The market will be dictated as much by the bets as the settler.

Statistically the better supported clubs will have bets against them.

The market will be skewed massively by Leeds

[Alfresco]

It don't look like Bulut is going to alter his approach to the way he wants his team to play. So unless we get the same luck as last season then 20th is about right.

[2b2bdoo]

It don't look like Bulut is going to alter his approach to the way he wants his team to play. So unless we get the same luck as last season then 20th is about right.

Tbf I don’t get that from what I’ve seen pre-season. Certainly been a change in style but against lower quality teams.

To me the concern is, it doesn’t work and default is defensive backs against the wall.

Tbh it wouldn’t surprise me if we are top 3 or bottom 3

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Tbf I don’t get that from what I’ve seen pre-season. Certainly been a change in style but against lower quality teams.

To me the concern is, it doesn’t work and default is defensive backs against the wall.

Tbh it wouldn’t surprise me if we are top 3 or bottom 3

Last season, our poorest form was when we were at our most defensive. Despite that, it meant we carried less threat, created little, scored less and conceded more. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work that out, yet as form declined, Bulut got more defensive and things got even worse.

When we played even remotely on the front foot we were much better. Bulut has to learn this or he'll be gone by December.

[jon1959]

Tbf I don’t get that from what I’ve seen pre-season. Certainly been a change in style but against lower quality teams.

To me the concern is, it doesn’t work and default is defensive backs against the wall.

Tbh it wouldn’t surprise me if we are top 3 or bottom 3

I agree with the first two sentences (not the third).

There has been a change in playing style pre-season (bar one game), which the players (including Ramsey) have also spoken about. It seems to be a combination of Bulut changing/evolving and the impact of the new attacking coach. A high press and at times flooding the box - albeit against variable opposition - is different.

But I can't see Bulut wiping away his entire managerial blueprint. Those posters who have studied (!) his style at other clubs all come back to a defensive (negative?) mindset and set up, and we have seen that comes to the top when the results don't come. I hope he is more adaptable than most of us think, but I expect at best baby steps in the direction most of us would like to see as standard.

[The Lone Gunman]

He is right in parts.

The market will be dictated as much by the bets as the settler.

Statistically the better supported clubs will have bets against them.

If the markets were based on that logic, City would be ranked in the bookies’ lists above the likes of Luton, Watford, QPR, Millwall and Swansea, but they’re not.

Do you reckon more people bet in these markets on teams like QPR or Swansea than bet on Cardiff?

[Carl Dale's Mole]

Here come the podcasts' predictions.

Not The Top 20 Podcast has us in 18th. They talk about how bad we were creating chances from open play and how little football will be played by Ramsey, Chambers and Willock because of their injury history:

https://youtu.be/GGXAQjJII3Y?si=3uPO9m8M4alSCTYd&t=1560

[2b2bdoo]

Here come the podcasts' predictions.

Not The Top 20 Podcast has us in 18th. They talk about how bad we were creating chances from open play and how little football will be played by Ramsey, Chambers and Willock because of their injury history:

https://youtu.be/GGXAQjJII3Y?si=3uPO9m8M4alSCTYd&t=1560

Seemed a fair well balanced bit on us.

[Carl Dale's Mole]

Seemed a fair well balanced bit on us.

Yep. They’re miles better than the Second Tier podcast imo but fair and balanced doesn’t get you those all important views and listens in today’s world does it!

[North Cardiff Blue]

Here come the podcasts' predictions.

Not The Top 20 Podcast has us in 18th. They talk about how bad we were creating chances from open play and how little football will be played by Ramsey, Chambers and Willock because of their injury history:

https://youtu.be/GGXAQjJII3Y?si=3uPO9m8M4alSCTYd&t=1560

Nonesense, he knows nothing about us, basing it on stats from last year only, quite a few have tried to do that and come unstuck.

Says we signed good players and said they may not play and if they do they will be inconsistent.

Ramsey has hinted and we've all seen we are trying to play differently, more players to come in and already better players here, I think we will finish higher than last season, how much is hard to know yet!

Ramseys' comments https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...l-way-29673548

[The Lone Gunman]

You seem unwilling to accept what plenty of people believe - that last season’s 12th placed finished was extremely fortunate and a false position based on almost all of the key indicators.

I firmly believe City could improve in both attack and defence this season and yet still finish no higher than last season. I think that’s entirely possible as the 12th placed finish was something of a freak occurrence under the circumstances.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

I agree with the first two sentences (not the third).

There has been a change in playing style pre-season (bar one game), which the players (including Ramsey) have also spoken about. It seems to be a combination of Bulut changing/evolving and the impact of the new attacking coach. A high press and at times flooding the box - albeit against variable opposition - is different.

But I can't see Bulut wiping away his entire managerial blueprint. Those posters who have studied (!) his style at other clubs all come back to a defensive (negative?) mindset and set up, and we have seen that comes to the top when the results don't come. I hope he is more adaptable than most of us think, but I expect at best baby steps in the direction most of us would like to see as standard.

I have this nagging doubt regarding Bulut's understanding of the sheer competitiveness of the Championship. Does he think he's improving a 12th placed squad which logically would suggest a higher finish this season ? I'd like to think he's pragmatic enough to acknowledge along with most of us that we're far from that. I also earnestly hope that he isn't going to rely on a slow build up from the back - confronted with 11 players in front of us we certainly don't have the skill or sharpness to break them down. We'll soon find out !

[NinianKnight]

If the markets were based on that logic, City would be ranked in the bookies’ lists above the likes of Luton, Watford, QPR, Millwall and Swansea, but they’re not.

Do you reckon more people bet in these markets on teams like QPR or Swansea than bet on Cardiff?

It doesn't depend on anyone's reckoning it depends on what has been placed in bets. Neither of us know whether Luton, Watford, OPR, Millwall or Swansea have had more or less bets placed on them compared to Cardiff, but I don't accept that the number of bets doesn't affect the betting price.

[The Lone Gunman]

It doesn't depend on anyone's reckoning it depends on what has been placed in bets. Neither of us know whether Luton, Watford, OPR, Millwall or Swansea have had more or less bets placed on them compared to Cardiff, but I don't accept that the number of bets doesn't affect the betting price.

How do you think a betting market is formed in the first place? Before anyone has placed a bet?

[Hilts]

I think 66/1 to win it and 18/1 for promotion are fair odds.

I just think Portsmouth Derby Sheff Weds Swansea Blackburn QPR should be of similar or worse.

The 7/2 on relegation though seems very harsh. They clearly don't fancy us and don't want bets on us.

I wouldn't be betting on us in any market.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Here come the podcasts' predictions.

Not The Top 20 Podcast has us in 18th. They talk about how bad we were creating chances from open play and how little football will be played by Ramsey, Chambers and Willock because of their injury history:

https://youtu.be/GGXAQjJII3Y?si=3uPO9m8M4alSCTYd&t=1560

Really find it hard to argue with any of that. We seem to be holding out a lot of hope certain players stay fit and almost every attacker we have finds that impossible to do